Summary
#LI-Hybrid
Location: Mexico City, Mexico [INSURGENTES]
Relocation Support: This position is located in Mexico City, Mexico. Novartis cannot provide relocation assistance, so please apply only if you are able to access the location.
As a Scrum Master, you will help drive delivery excellence for global digital projects. You will lead Agile teams, manage end-to-end project delivery in challenging environments, and act as a reliable partner for business and technology stakeholders. Your focus will be on ensuring consistent, high-quality results, fostering collaboration, continuous improvement, and strong governance for both Agile and hybrid projects.
Novartis is transforming medicine through digital, data, and technology. We are seeking a Scrum Master with solid Project Management experience who can lead Agile delivery, and also apply Waterfall project management skills to future initiatives when needed.
The main responsibility of this role is to coach and support Agile teams in delivering quality outcomes, while also managing complex IT projects from start to finish using Waterfall or hybrid approaches when required by business context, compliance, or scale.
About the Role
Key Responsibilities
Agile / Scrum Master Accountabilities (Primary Focus)
- Accountable for one to two Scrum teams of medium to high complexity (typically USD 3M+ in Agile team accountability).
- Act as a servant leader and coach, ensuring teams live Agile values and principles while continuously improving ways of working.
- Establish and maintain a high‑trust, high‑performance environment enabling team effectiveness and self‑organization.
- Facilitate all Agile ceremonies (Sprint Planning, Daily Stand‑ups, Reviews, Retrospectives).
- Remove impediments, protect the team from external disruption, and support effective conflict resolution.
- Partner closely with Product Owners to support backlog refinement, prioritization, and flow of work.
- Foster an Agile mindset across teams and stakeholders, promoting transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Track and communicate Agile delivery metrics (velocity, cycle time, burn‑down/burn‑up, quality).
Project Management / Waterfall Accountabilities (Required Capability)
- Manage end‑to‑end delivery of internal and outsourced IT projects, from initiation through transition to operations, when Waterfall or hybrid governance is required.
- Establish and operate project governance, including steering committees, risk and issue management, and decision forums.
- Own project planning, execution, monitoring, and control, ensuring delivery on time, within budget, and to agreed scope and quality.
- Lead cut‑over, change management, and end‑user adoption activities associated with releases.
- Drive stakeholder communications, acting as the primary escalation point for project‑related issues.
- Maintain transparent and accurate project reporting, including status, risks, dependencies, and financials.
- Ensure adherence to Security, Risk, and Compliance policies and procedures.
- Collaborate effectively with IT functions, business partners, and strategic suppliers in a global, matrixed organization.
- Support regional deployment activities for large enterprise programs from planning through change and stabilization.
Essential Requirements
Education & Certifications
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, Information Technology, or equivalent experience.
- Agile / Scrum certification required (CSM, PSM, SAFe, or equivalent).
- PMP or equivalent Project Management certification strongly preferred.
- Coaching or Continuous Improvement certifications are a plus.
Experience & Skills
- 5–10 years of IT project delivery experience in large, global, and complex environments.
- Proven hands‑on experience as a Scrum Master, coaching Agile teams to high performance.
- Strong experience delivering Waterfall or hybrid projects, including governance, budgeting, risk, and change management.
- Experience working with global and regional stakeholders, preferably in Commercial, Digital, or Enterprise IT domains.
- Knowledge of Pharma / Life Sciences industry is a strong plus.
- Solid understanding of the software development lifecycle.
- Demonstrated ability to manage ambiguity, influence without authority, and drive outcomes under pressure.
- Hands‑on experience leading Change Management workstreams.
- Excellent stakeholder management, facilitation, and communication skills across geographically dispersed teams.
- Establish and maintain a high‑trust, high‑performance environment enabling team effectiveness and self‑organization.
- Remove impediments, protect the team from external disruption, and support effective conflict resolution.
Technical & Tooling Skills
- Agile and Project Management tools: Jira, Microsoft Project, ServiceNow
- Microsoft Office: Excel, PowerPoint, Word
- Desirable exposure to: Salesforce (Marketing Cloud, Health Cloud, Sales Cloud), Veeva CRM, Drupal or other CMS platforms
Desirable Requirements
- Experience working in pharmaceutical or life sciences environments
- Familiarity with Agile and project management tools such as Jira, Microsoft Project, and ServiceNow
- SaFe scrum master certification
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.
Accessibility and Accommodation:
Novartis is committed to work with and provide reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the recruitment process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to tas.mexico@novartis.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.
Novartis tiene el compromiso de trabajar y proporcionar adaptaciones razonables para personas con discapacidad. Si, debido a una condición médica o discapacidad, necesita una adaptación razonable para cualquier parte del proceso de contratación, o para desempeñar las funciones esenciales de un puesto, envíe un correo electrónico a tas.mexico@novartis.com y permítanos conocer la naturaleza de su solicitud y su información de contacto. Incluya el número de posición en su mensaje.
Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams' representative of the patients and communities we serve
Why Novartis: Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together? https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture
Benefits and Rewards: Learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally.
Read our handbook (PDF 30 MB)
